I have had the 350 big bear and it's an amazing machine never had serious problems with it it's the most reliable machine I have ever seen. It was a manual and I would advisend you to go with manual because it gives you more control over the machine you can drive more fuel efficiently and it is more fun I have how through six atvs so far all of them manual. Right now I have a raptor 700 and it's also amazing. Just stick with Yamaha they're the best brand out there

 

 

[QUOTE=MURDERED QUAD;3392292]It's funny that you're reading a 10 year old thread.

 

Here is the deal, you are of course going to get people who are very bias both ways. I had an automatic quad, then a dirt bike, then a manual quad, then another automatic, and from there I have had manual quads.

Automatic quads are more for easy riding, all around riding, work, and mudding. They are great all around quads. However, compared to a sport/manual quad, manual quads are much faster, much more acceleration, and you get the feel of the power of the quad.

So, are you doing more relaxed riding with some work and mudding or do you want faster speed with more power but can't mud/work.

 

A manual sport quad will be faster than an automatic utility quad with the same horsepower, but it's not all due to the sport being a manual and the utility being an automatic. If a sport quad has the same power but weighs half as much it's going to be faster, no matter if the utility is a manual or an automatic.

 

That is true, a sport quad is about half the weight of a utility quad. However, if they were the same weight, a manual (if the person knows how to shift) would still have bettor acceleration than an automatic.

 

That's what they used to say about cars, but not anymore.

 

Yeah, many high performance sports cars have dual-clutch auto transmissions that can shift faster than a human can. If you buy a manual Corvette for instance, its because you prefer shifting, not because it makes the car faster. I've owned both cvt auto and foot shift atvs and like another poster said earlier, I do prefer the auto because you don't have to shift. You just put it in gear and off you go. I've only smoked one belt in the last 15 years. In that case, I think it was the fault of the previous owner who incorrectly installed the belt. I had to replace another because it was worn so badly that it caused the atv to lose power but I didn't get stranded.
There are times when shifting can be fun, especially on a smaller displacement machine. I guess cvt autos get you spoiled though. It always seems to be in the perfect gear no matter what speed you're going. And if you know you need to go slow for a tough trail or hauling or towing something heavy, you just put it in low range before you take off. I use my King Quad to move my trailer around my yard. It gets pretty muddy and its easier to get it to the backyard rather than take the truck back there and make even more ruts than it already has. I just put it in low range and limited slip 4x4 and it easily tows it back there.

 

That may be true for cars but manual shift quads are still faster.

Why do you think every race quad is a Manuel?

If you can get one of your automatic quads to be the same engine size and weight as my quad, we will race and find out.

 

Well...all racing quads are manual shift because of the added weight/bulk of other transmissions. CVTs are tough to beat in a drag race...properly set up they keep the motor in the meat of the RPM range...I don't think Yamahamoto has come across any fast CVTs...he most certainly hasn't come across mine...